EUSR`s Speech at the Side Event “International Year of Peace and Trust: Strengthening Cooperation between Central Asia and the European Union” on the occasion of the EU – Central Asia Ministerial Meeting

Your Excellency, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Mr Meredov,

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to thank Turkmenistan for hosting the very successful EU-Central Asia Ministerial meeting earlier today.

I am also grateful to the other ministers and deputy ministers for your presence here, despite the short notice scheduling and your busy calendars.

It was very important to have this Ministerial meeting ahead of our historic Summit in Samarkand next week.

I would also like to thank Turkmenistan for organising this side event in the framework of the International Year of Peace and Trust.

Peace and trust are globally timeless values. We need trust to maintain and promote peace.

Trust is the basis of cooperation – between countries and regions, but also between human beings in general.

Following jointly agreed rules is the starting point to build trust.

The UN Charter and the OSCE principles are in the centre of this and we all, as Member States of these organisations, have agreed to implement those principles.

The EU and Central Asia have a common interest to defend these jointly agreed rules. And we have to stand firmly together against those who violate the fundaments of international peace and trust.

Because, unfortunately, we can see that there is a trend of an increasing number of conflicts globally.

This suggests a current lack of trust that needs to be rectified.

We are confident that a rules-based multilateral order is a prerequisite to establish trust and sustainable peace.

Sustainable peace cannot be achieved if aggression is rewarded.

Looking at Central Asia, I would like to commend that all Central Asian countries have made successful efforts to promote mutual trust and to expand dialogue in the region in the recent years.

As a result, regional cooperation in Central Asia has gradually increased to a level never reached before.

The EU is a strong supporter of regional cooperation, and I am delighted by your solid engagement.

The EU especially welcomes and supports the historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This is important for the whole region, including for trade aspects, economic development and well-being of societies.

We hope that the agreement can be implemented soon. The EU stands ready to support this process with concrete action.

I am confident that this will give another strong impetus for development of the region and the EU will certainly continue to contribute to intra-regional cooperation in Central Asia.

Today’s Ministerial meeting gave an excellent overview on the solid cooperation between the EU and Central Asia across different fields.

Our political dialogue is active, and it will be taken to the highest level at the Summit in Samarkand next week.

The EU continues to view Central Asia as our long-term partner.

Our practical cooperation continues to deepen. We have achieved good results, but there is always room to do more.

We have both common opportunities and shared challenges to work on.

The EU is the largest foreign investor in Central Asia and second largest trade partner for the region.

Our joint efforts with our EPCA agreements will facilitate more trade and development, including enhancing the business climate.

The EU also supports Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in their accession to the World Trade Organisation.

The Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor seeks to unlock new economic opportunities for both regions, including increased trade inside Central Asia.Climate change and environmental degradation are global challenges that affect all of us, and cannot be tackled without cooperation across the borders.

Adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change continues to be a critical element for the EU and its Member States, as well as to the Central Asian countries.

The EU stands ready to work together with Central Asia to reduce emissions, and support efforts to develop renewable energy sources. Central Asia has a lot of potential for sustainable use of solar, wind and hydropower energy.

People to people contacts and intercultural dialogue are also an important part of our cooperation.

For example, we consider that cooperation on education and research is an investment in the young populations of Central Asia.

Our regional flagship program DARYA and the well-established Erasmus+ program have opened doors for countless students and researchers across our regions.

EU Member States’ bilateral engagement, including with universities, further supports these efforts.

To conclude,

Trust is a key element in any cooperation between regions and countries.

Our wide cooperation agenda is a proof that our partnership enjoys our mutual trust.

The European Union looks forward to continuing and enhancing our cooperation – with a perspective for a long-term partnership.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Turkmenistan on the 30th anniversary of your Permanent Neutrality. I wish you all thesuccess this year, including with the further planned events in the framework of International Year of Peace and Trust.

Thank you.